Henry the Young King

Henry the Young King (28 February 1155-11 June 1183) was the Earl of Maine and titular King of England from 1170 to 1183 under his father, Henry II of England. Known as "the Young King" due to his status as junior king of England, he died while rebelling against his father.

Henry was the son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and he was his father's heir apparent; his siblings were William IX of Poitiers (who died in 1156), Matilda, Richard the Lionheart, Eleanor, Joan, and John of England. In 1170, his father had him coronated as junior king in the Capetian style, and he became a celebrity after winning a tournament. He spent 200 pounds a day on the retinue of tournament knights that accompanied him, and his love for patronage made up for his lack of political skill.

However, Henry squandered his funds on his tournaments, leaving him with no funds; he grew angry at his father for not giving him any lands to rule. With the support of several magnates from England's French possessions, Henry launched a rebellion against his father in 1173 with the support of his mother. Henry II was defeated several times by Henry and his brothers, who joined the fight to increase their power. However, Eleanor of Aquitaine was imprisoned by Henry, and Henry forced the rebellion to come to an end in 1174. In 1179, he represented his father at the coronation of Philip II of France, carrying the crown for the king and acting as his steward. In 1183, however, Henry embarked on a new campaign in Limousin against his father and his brother Richard, who decided not to support his uprising. Henry pillaged local monasteries to pay for his mercenaries, and he died of dysentery near Limoges.